Page 3 of Tattered Souls (Whispering Falls #2)

Garrick

I sighed as I shifted my car into neutral and then hit the parking brake. It had been a long fucking day at the shop.

The last thing I wanted to do was hang out with my siblings.

Love them.

But after a day like today, I wanted peace and quiet.

Oh, and a few glasses of whiskey.

Knowing that wasn’t going to happen until I headed home after this, I climbed out of my car and headed up to Carter’s house.

In all fairness, I should have bowed out tonight.

However, Carter had asked all of us to come and meet his best friend, Granger, and for the women to meet his little sister, Tatum.

I recalled the fact that it was funny he had made a best friend who had a circumstance like we did with Talia.

Talia was twelve years younger than I was, and she had been a surprise baby.

The same went with Granger and Tatum. Granger was thirty-seven, and Tatum was twenty-four.

Shaking my head, I made a mental note to meet them, hang out for a few minutes, and then head home.

That was what I thought, at least.

Tatum

Over the years, I’ve heard my brother, Granger, talk about his best friend, Carter, and his siblings.

I loved the fact that Talia was so headstrong.

I loved the fact that Alec didn’t know what he wanted.

I didn’t hear much about Ethan except for the fact that he had a daughter named Melanie.

And I adored Harlee when I met her.

But if I were being honest with myself, the one I was interested in was Garrick Griggs.

Over the years, I’d heard little about him.

And what I did hear, well, it made me curious.

That was why when Granger told me that we were headed to Carter’s house to meet everyone, I was nervous.

I was finally going to come face to face with them.

My phone pinged with a text.

Harlee – Can’t wait to see you again. Told the girls about you, and they are excited to meet you.

Me – I can’t wait either. I’m a little nervous, though.

Harlee – Don’t be. Promise. Never met a group of people better than them.

Me – Okay, I’ll try not to be.

The moment I set my phone down in my lap, Granger’s arm shot out and pinned me into my seat.

Thankfully, Granger missed my involuntary flinch.

“Fucking asshole.” He muttered.

I inhaled a breath to calm myself down.

A truck had pulled out in front of us.

Then my phone pinged with another text.

Over the past four months, I’d gone on a handful of dates with Lance.

He had been honest that he was seeing what was out there.

That didn’t bother me like it should have.

And I didn’t know why.

Lance – Miss you.

What did I say to that?

Truly, I didn’t miss him.

But I had been conditioned to say things back.

Which was why my fingers moved of their own accord to text him back.

Me – Miss you too.

Taking in another deep breath, I tried to force a smile when Granger looked at me.

We pulled in front of a cute house, white siding with white columns holding up the roof. It appeared to be one-story.

Granger parked the truck behind a pretty-looking black muscle car on the side of the road.

I swallowed down my nervousness as best as I could. It was time.

I walked beside Granger as we headed up the walkway and to the steps.

Moments after he knocked, the door opened, and there stood Carter.

He welcomed us in, and before long, I was embraced in a hug by Harlee.

And that was when I saw him.

Him.

Holy sweet mother of Mary and Joseph.

I was average height for a girl at around five feet six inches, but this man would no doubt tower over me.

There was a built body, and then there was a built body.

You know the kind where the t-shirt sleeves were tight on their biceps.

Fucking hell.

And those arms of his, strong, corded, and tattooed.

That strong neck, that angular jaw, that ghosting of a five o’clock shadow, that trimmed goatee. That hair that was trimmed on the sides and longer on top... I wanted to run my fingers through it.

His lips... his slightly crooked nose that must have been broken at one time or another, and those eyes, freaking look like an ocean.

I wondered if his emotions swirled in his eyes like waves hitting the coast.

And when I heard someone call out, Garrick.

I watched the man respond.

So, this was Garrick.

Was it a thing for panties to melt on the spot?

Because mine definitely did.

Garrick

Holy. Fuck.

I’ve been on this earth for thirty-six years and never, fucking never, have I seen a more beautiful sight than the one standing next to Harlee.

She had long, silky, dark brown hair. So long that it skimmed the top of her jeans’ waistband.

And damn, did she look good in a pair of jeans. The denim hugged her ass and thighs perfectly before the length flared out, and I had to force down the chuckle that wanted to burst forth at the dark blue Converse she had on.

She had on a dark blue shirt that had short sleeves with flowers on them. Those little ruffled things were on the sleeves and in front of the shirt.

But what made her beautiful? Her fucking features.

She had kissable lips, a strong jaw that my hand wanted to caress. Milky white skin.

A cute as fuck little button nose, and the darkest eyes I’d ever seen.

Eyes so dark that it felt as though you could get lost in them.

I watched her as Harlee led her to the kitchen.

And when she was out of my sight, fuck, but the headache I thought had vanished a little earlier came back with a raging force.

I pressed my fingertips to my temple; the noise in here wasn’t helping.

That was why I headed outside to the back covered porch.

Fucking peace. And fucking quiet.

I sighed as I looked out over the backyard.

I wasn’t sure how long I had been out there.

Five minutes?

Ten minutes max.

When I heard a woman’s voice ask, “Umm, are you okay?”

Would it be stalkerish if I asked her to talk to me for the rest of the night?

Not only was she beautiful, but she had a voice to match.

Soft and lilting.

Fucking killer combination.

I looked over my shoulder at Tatum and felt it, not for the first time that night, that something in my chest cracked open.

“Headache. Been a long day,” I told her.

She nodded, then tilted her head, and I watched as those mesmerizing sable eyes of hers flared.

Felt as though I could stare into them all day and never get tired of them.

Before I knew it, she was digging in a bag she had at her hip, and then she pulled out a little blue case.

Seeing it as she opened it, I saw a few tabs that read things like Tylenol, Midol, Benadryl, Zantac... that was fucking cool.

She popped the Tylenol tab, shook two out, and then handed them to me.

As I opened my hand for her to place them in it, I felt the tips of her fingers brush over my palm, that small encounter... she didn’t know it.

Didn’t know that knowing I was hurting and wanting to fix it.

Didn’t know that I had hung on every word she had said earlier.

Didn’t know that she was the most gorgeous being I’d ever seen in my life.

Prettier than my 1967 Dodge Charger.

Prettier than my 1943 Harley-Davidson Model F Knucklehead, I found, built up, and restored to her former glory.

She didn’t know that she managed what no one had managed to do.

She slid in deep, right under my skin.

Yeah, I recognized it right then and there. I’d met the one .

My brain started planning on ways I could ask her to let me take her out on a date.

But something... something I couldn’t put my finger on had me pausing, and I knew I needed time.

I headed back inside with her and lifted my chin at Dom, who came to stand next to where I stood as I watched Tatum walk back over to Harlee and sit down beside her.

“Thought you were headed out earlier?” He asked.

I looked at Tatum, then looked at Dom.

He looked at her, then at me, and lifted a brow. “Yeah?

I nodded, “Yeah.”

He jerked up his chin. “Got your back. Whatever you need.”

I nodded, “Preciate it.”

And then I stayed right where I was.

Watching her, yeah, I probably looked like a stalker, but I didn’t give a shit.

I failed to notice Carter watching me.

I failed to notice that Granger watched me too.

Standing at the island, I smirked as I saw that Carter and Harlee had the booze I needed to make my favorite drink.

I was tagging the bottles to make it when I felt the air shift.

And when I glanced up, it was to see Tatum had walked over, and then she asked, “What are you making?”

I winked down at her. “It’s called a Sidecar.”

Her little nose scrunched up. “What’s in it?

“Sugar, cognac or bourbon, triple sec, lemon juice, and either an orange slice or lime slice. Depending on your preference.”

She pointed at the bottle of Jack Daniel’s honey I was measuring and lifted a brow.

I winked down at her, “It’s my own little twist.”

“So, it’s not called a Sidecar then?” she asked.

I shrugged, “Never thought about it. What would you call it?”

She thought about it for a moment, and then asked, “Is that your Charger outside?”

My eyes widened. I nodded.

She knew that.... Damn.

“How about you call it, The Charger?”

And with that, she walked away.

Damn.

Just... damn.

***

It was a couple of weeks later when a twenty-twelve or twenty-thirteen black Camaro pulled into the lot.

I watched it park in a parking space and then watched the door open.

And then she stepped out.

I tagged the red rag in the pocket of my coveralls, wiped them as I walked, and met her at the open bay door.

She smiled up at me.

And yeah, what I couldn’t give to see that smile every fucking day.

“Hey, Garrick.” She said.

I had to force myself not to close my eyes and savor that sliver of a moment when she said my name for the first time.

I winked down at her, “Hey, Tatum.”

“Umm, so my car is making this weird sound when I start it up. Sounds like a click, bop, click, ting, cling, click, bop.”

“What sound is your car making?” I asked her teasingly.

She bit her lip, “Are you really going to make me repeat it?” she asked.

I should. I totally should, because that was cute as fuck.

Instead, I shook my head, “Nah. I’ll be nice today. Bring the car in on Monday. I’ll take a look at it.”